You've got the Wrong Link!
by YBNorml
Summary: Discontinued. Chapters 7-9, others missing due to filing error.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So, yes, this story is another delightful addition to the list of stories I will not finish, yet people still want to read. So it is up here for your entertainment. Though, I only have chapters 7-9 available due to a very, very rare error in my filing. I hoep you enjoy it all the same, I am currently on a search for the rest of the story.

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**You've got the wrong Link!**

Chapter 7 These Twists and Turns of Fate

Ruto whined pitifully. Link was prodding her in the head with a stick. All she wanted to do was sleep. Scowling, she turned to squint up at him. Silhouetted from the strong sun behind him, all she could see were his laughing blue eyes. He fell to his knees and leaned down over her. He was kneeling behind her, so his chin was over her forehead, and her lips were below his brow. With one quick movement he scooted forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Ruto sighed contentedly, smiling into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. There they remained, on the beach with the waves lapping up to Ruto's belly button and no farther.

They'd arrived at Outset Island a few days ago and decided that they deserved to relax for a while. The Earth Temple wasn't going to just pick up and move any time soon. That and both Link and Ruto knew that it was getting harder and harder to think of a reason for her to go home. Everything was just falling into place so smoothly. They would go swimming together, or take a nap in the afternoon sun. Sometimes, they wouldn't even see each other at all, being swept away in the harvest time. Everyone had a job. Either there was someone watching the little ones, or someone cooking the meals. Ruto found it quite entertaining to spend time with Granny in the kitchen cooking for an entire village of people. Aryll was content to take the younger children up to her lookout post and make sure they didn't fall into the ocean.

Speaking of Aryll, quite rarely was she seen, except when she felt the need to poke her nose into Link and Ruto's moments together. Like now, for instance.

"Would you two get a room?" Aryll drawled. Skipping down the beach after her was the baby parade. Since she was the oldest of the bunch she was clearly named ring leader, and so led them about the islands with an air of arrogance. It gave her the power to interrupt anyone and everyone's alone time.

"Nope, the only room we have is your house, and granny's in there." Ruto replied tartly.

"Well, still, maybe a more private beach, then?" Aryll crooned, "We're tired of watching your love fest."

"Too bad." With that, Link promptly planted his lips back on Ruto's and made an exaggerate show of it. He'd smack his lips, and suck, and slobber. Eventually Aryll sauntered of, not willing to watch them 'swap spit' as she so fondly dubbed it. As soon as his sister and her band of brats were out of sight Link sighed. He lifted his lips a few inches from Ruto's and smiled. Why couldn't it just stay like this?

Ruto rolled out from under him and sat up. Then, in a sluggish, languid way she moved over to him and crawled into his lap.

"Ruto, now my shorts are all wet and covered with sand!"

"Too bad." She mimicked him and raspberry'd his cheek.

"Link…I had a really weird dream before you poked me awake." She murmured.

"If that's your way of saying thank you, then…you're welcome."

"Link, shush." Ruto snorted and rested one webbed hand over his mouth, "I'm being serious."

Curling into him, her arms around his neck loosened slightly. It was still early morning, and the sun was just rising over the wide open seas. The bright, bright blue of the water reflected the sun so much it was almost too painful to look at. Instead, Ruto chose to watch the waves ebb and flow on the shore. She wanted to tell him about her dream, but, at the same time, she didn't really understand it. How could she explain something even she didn't understand?

"You and me, we were on Outset." Ruto started hesitantly, "And, none of your family was here. It was just you, me…and…"

Link remained silent, somehow knowing how hard this was for her. In the place of talking he rubbed his thumb over her shoulder.

"…my people. There were Zoras everywhere. There were young hatchlings, and you and I; we were the king and queen of them. It was a new Zora's Domain. The kingdom of the Zora reborn into this new ocean."

There was a long silence where neither Link nor Ruto said anything. It was not awkward, it was thoughtful. As if they were both trying to understand what this image could possibly mean. There were no Zora in Outset except for Ruto. Their god, Jabun was there. But no Zora. Link's grip tightened on Ruto for a moment, and she could feel him tense.

"Ruto, we need to set out for the Earth Temple." Link's words came out as a sigh. He was tense throughout his whole body; Ruto could feel it, the idea of her leaving, of her going home put them both on edge.

"But, can't we stay here for a few more days? Your village needs our help…Link, I think we should stay."

"Ruto!" She jumped. His voice came out as a bark, and it startled her so, he had never said her name like that. "…No."

"But, Link…I don't understand. Why do you want me to leave?" Ruto turned to look up at him and saw his face contort into an expression of deep thought. It was the same look he used when confronted with a problem he knew he couldn't fix in an instant.

"I don't want you to leave." Link said slowly, soon adding, "I want you to stay, but we need to find a way to understand your dream. The only one who could would be Medli's predecessor, Laruto."

"Who's Medli again?"

"She's the Earth Sage, and your descendant."

"Ah, one of those infernal bird people. Why did we turn into birds?" Ruto sighed.

"Yes," Link rolled his eyes, "But the sage that came before her was a Zora, and was killed by Ganondorf."

"A Zora was still alive in your time and then Ganondorf killed her?! What is wrong with this man?" Ruto scowled angrily.

"Anyways, we need to set sail now." Link abruptly stood and headed towards his Grandma's house to tell her where they were going and a summary of why.

Ruto busied herself with hurrying to the boat. They'd only sat still for a few days, and even those had been buzzing with activity. When would they ever get a rest?

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

You've got the wrong Link

**You've got the wrong Link!**

Chapter 8 Even if you cannot hear my voice…

The sun was shining, the sea was cooperating, and everything was perfect. The day _would_ have been perfect if her and Link weren't sitting in the boat, not talking. Earlier on during the trip they had had a fight. Something pointless probably, but it had still happened. Ruto wanted to scream and yell and fight with him, but Link was stubbornly doing his little martyr thing. He would wait for her to cool down and then talk to her so that he wouldn't say anything hurtful.

Conversationally, not meant to provoke at all, Link had asked Ruto what she thought her dream had meant. Ruto replied that somehow, more Zoras had found their way here through time like she had, even her children. She chose Link as her husband and they became king and queen of the Zora people on Outset Island. As good and well as this all was, Link wasn't fond of the idea of this home becoming the new Zoran kingdom. Couldn't they find a different place to live?

Pulling up in front of island (actually mountain peak) that housed the upper entrance to the earth temple, Link stepped out of the boat, offering Ruto a hand. She accepted it in silence. Though he knew that there would be no monsters in the temple now that Ganondorf had been defeated, it still put him on edge to walk through the temple's dank hallways. It took a while but after gently gliding down towards the chambers where one of Ganon's minions had lurked to prevent power from being returned to the master sword, Ruto and he came upon Medli.

Looking thoroughly surprised, Medli leapt up from her place in the center of the room and rushed Link like a bull. Throwing her arms around his neck she squealed excitedly. "What are you doing here Link?"

A terse cough resounded from Ruto, who politely waited for this bird creature to get her hands off of Link. "We're here to talk to your predecessor. The Earth Sage that came before you."

"Who's this?"

"This is Princess Ruto; she was the original water sage from when The Hero of Time was alive."

"It is an honor, sage." Medli stepped away from Link and bowed in Ruto's direction.

"We're here because I had a dream the other night that there were Zora's here, in this world, on Outset. Besides me." Ruto's voice became breathless at the thought of such a thing.

Link rested a calming hand on Ruto's shoulder and said, "Medli, when you were first awakened as the new Earth Sage, Laruto spoke to me, and to you. I was wondering if somehow, we could speak to her again, now, to ask her about Ruto's dream."

"I don't know Link. Perhaps if you conducted me as I played Earth God's Requiem…"

"Alright." Link pulled the gleaming white baton from within his tunic and stood ready.

He wasn't sure what would happen when he contacted Laruto, and he hoped it wouldn't involve him losing Ruto. Link wasn't sure why it would mean such a thing. He shook his head. It wasn't the time to be thinking those things.

It was cold in the bottom of the temple. How had he not noticed it before now? Link shivered, held the baton up high, and then he began conducting. Eyes closed, feeling the rhythm. Six beats. Quick, concise beats. It was almost as if some outside source was acting through his arm to conduct Medli. The music drifting from her harp was so soothing. The minutes drifted by as the song continued, neither party ceasing in playing or conducting. Then, without any indication as to when or how, there was a second harp playing along with Medli. Link finished on the sixth and final beat, and opened his eyes.

Standing before them in all her sagely glory, was Laruto. The beautiful Earth Sage he had met so many years ago. She fixated her regal gaze on Ruto, and in a brief moment she appeared shocked, if not sad. Laruto moved forward, ghosting across the floor until she was floating directly in front of Ruto.

"Who are you?"

"I am Princess Ruto of Zora's Domain, Water Sage, fiancée of The Hero of Time…"

"…and my mother." Laruto finished.

If the silence had not been heavy when they entered the chambers, it suddenly was then. Link stared in wide-eyed astonishment from Ruto to _La_ruto. His Zora Princess smiled as tears streamed down her face.

"You survived? I was so worried about you and your siblings…when I showed up here…who took care of you?" Ruto reached out for her daughter, and in a moment of overwhelming sadness, her hands went through her. After all, Laruto was dead, she was here as a ghost, a previous sage, nothing more.

"We all did. Our father, your fiancée, he took care of us. Father was named King of the Zora's when you couldn't be found. He raised us dutifully, as any truly proud parent would. Then, when he passed on, I became the water sage. Over time, the Zora's eventually became extinct. The ways of temples faded. But I remained sealed away in the sacred realm, only to be reborn as the Earth Sage. I have lived here ever since then. Until Ganondorf once again returned, and killed me." When Laruto finished, she waited for her mother to explain why she was here.

"My darling daughter, I am so _proud_ of you. I wish I had been there for you." Ruto paused, wondering how to phrase what she wanted to say, "I had a dream, a vision, last night. It involved a whole Domain's worth of Zoras, here, in and above the seas. On Outset island, with Link and I" here she waved to the Link standing next to her, "were the King and Queen of them. The Zorans lived on in this time."

Laruto listened intently to her mother's words, and then, without explanation she held her hands out in front of both Link and Ruto. A bright, harsh blue light stuck out towards them, consumed them, and carried the away from the temple. Link couldn't see or hear, all he was conscious of was the wind whipping at his face, and of Ruto's hand in his. Or, at least, he hoped it was Ruto. At the moment he couldn't be sure.

Then, his face was pressed into harsh flag stone. Link looked around and saw Ruto laying a few feet away from him, out cold. But what caught his attention and continually held it, was the gigantic whale behind him.

"Um, hello?" Then, the whale snorted in his face, and Link feinted.

Never before had he smelled something nearly as terrible as that whale's breath.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

Link was forced into a rather unpleasant state of wakefulness when a foul smelling steam was placed under his nose. Groaning he swung out at whomever it was who'd woken him and found himself thrown up against a wall. His vision was fuzzy, and he could barely make out three tall blue blobs standing in front of him. He moaned pathetically, his head hurting from the sudden awakening, and the smell that still stung his nostrils.

"What have you done to the princess?" One blob demanded. Link identified it as the one holding him against the wall.

"Nothing, I haven't done anything to her. Where is she?"

"She has been gone for months, and we just now find her at the sacred altar of Jabu-Jabu and she is unconscious next to you. What have you done to her?"

"Nothing! We just were sent back to this time from my time by her daughter Laruto, she's the earth sage and-" Link mumbled crazily.

"Very funny, Hylian, but we Zora are not nearly as imbecilic as you apparently believe us to be."

Link's vision was beginning to get sharper, and he began to distinguish the men interrogating him. Well, one was female, but it hardly mattered as he had no idea where he was, or where Ruto was. The one holding him up against the wall by the throat was definitely male, and he was wearing regal armor, and in his other hand not on Link held a tall spear made of gold. The other two Zora behind him wore the same uniform with a little less décor, and the one on the right was female, wearing a unique pendant. It seemed to give her a more regal bearing than her two male counterparts. Link decided that maybe pleading with her might be more successful.

"Please, miss, I just need to find Ruto, we came here together, I don't even know where here is. Understand that I mean no harm, and I _didn't_ harm the princess."

"Who are you Hylian? Your clothes are strange, even for one of your kind, and you bear a striking similarity to the Hero of Time, the Princess's fiancée." The woman placed her hand over her pendant, shielding it from his view and stared him down, waiting for an explanation.

"My name is Link, but I am not the one engaged to the princess. I come from a time hundreds of years in the future. Which is where, or more precisely _when_ the princess has been for the few months in your time she's been missing." Link stated. He knew just how crazy it sounded, but they _had_ to believe him.

"An impressive tale, _Link_," His captor snorted at his name, "However, if you are so sure of its merit you may continue rehearsing it in the prison hold."

Link's gaze flew to the Zoran woman standing near the door. She had her eyes on the floor, and her hand remained over her pendant. Still, her fins were flapping erratically just as Ruto's did when she was nervous. Link smiled, he knew she believed him, and at that moment he didn't really care why. All 

he wanted was to find Ruto, and definitely _not_ be taken to the prison hold. However, his one and only believer turned away from him while he was roughly led out of the room. Link threw a look at her over his shoulder and saw her face take on a pensive expression. He hoped she would come for him, but he couldn't expect her to. Link let his eyes roam over every floor, every wall, every ceiling, every miniscule detail he could on his way to his cell. He couldn't wait for her to come around, he needed to find Ruto and find a way home. Link made sure to take in everything, so he would know which turns to take when he managed to escape from his cell.

Ruto opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. She was in her bedroom in Zora's Domain. How could this be happening? She flew into a sitting position and looked around, amazed, happy, and confused by what she was seeing. Last thing she knew, Laruto had used some sort of spell on her and Link and then everything had gone dark. What had she done? Where was Link? Why wasn't he with her?

"Ruto…?"

Ruto's eyes turned to the doorway immediately and her heart stopped. There was Link, _her_ Link, _the_ Link. The one that got her into this whole mess in the first place. He stood there, almost as paralyzed as she was. But he broke from it sooner than she could. He hurried into the room, to her bedside where he took her into his arms. She sat there, rigid. Coldly she removed his arms from around her and moved away from him. Link stared at her, obviously hurt, though Ruto had no idea why he would have any right to be.

"Get away from me! You cheating, lying, _noble_, SCUMBAG!" Ruto hissed. She got out of bed and strutted her way across the room, putting as much distance between herself and him as possible.

"Ruto…what's wrong?"

"What do you think is wrong you…you…arrogant jerk?!"

How could he forget? What on earth made him think they were okay? The last time she saw him she'd threatened to have him executed. She'd just found out he'd been sleeping with _Zelda_ of all people. The one girl who was always better than her; she was more powerful, beautiful, and nice than her. She was _more_ than her. At everything Ruto failed, Zelda succeeded. And Link had the nerve to sleep with her while engaged to Ruto. When Ruto wanted to have him executed he begged for her not to, not because he valued his own life or image, but because of poor Zelda. Zelda might be shown to the people for what she really was: a treacherous snake that slept with other women's fiancées.

"Ruto, I'm just glad you're okay!" Link stood up, but when Ruto took another step back he sat down again. "We've been searching for you for almost two months now."

"Oh, well I'm sorry. I'm sure everyone was really upset with you and _Zelda_. Didn't want her reputation to be tarnished by my disappearance. Better make sure Ruto's alright, or else Zelda and I are in BIG trouble."

A look of realization dawned on Link's face and he frowned deeply. "That isn't it Ruto, Zelda and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh, did she find out you were nice to me once? Did she break it off because she didn't want to be seen with someone who associated willingly with the fish girl?!" Ruto cried.

"Ruto-"

"No, don't Link, just _don't_." Ruto turned to stalk out of the room when Link stopped her.

"I broke it off with her!" Ruto stopped, Link sighed, "I was the one who broke it off with her."

Ruto whirled around and stared at Link, truly seeing him, and how he'd changed since she'd last seen him. He was tired, and…different. His hair was untrimmed and shaggy, hanging well over his ears. Age lines were beginning to show on him, revealing his true age to those around him. Nearly thirty, he really looked his age in that moment. Ruto felt her fins flap in their typical nervous manner.

"You…you did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because…ever since the night you disappeared…I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even when Zelda came to visit me, I couldn't be bothered with her." Link shuffled around the bed and closer to Ruto, "I realize now that the night you left, I fell out of love with Zelda. I'm not sure I was ever really in love with her."

Ruto shook her head. This couldn't be happening. She'd dreamed that Link would make a confession like this every since she'd wound up in the other Link's time. Even as her feelings for him grew, she couldn't stop dreaming about the Link she'd run away from. Here he was now, saying everything she'd always wished he'd say. She raised a shaky hand to her forehead and breathed deeply. Link approached her, asking what was wrong. She shook her head again, having no words for him. Ruto peered around at her room, her eyes awkwardly landing on the dresser, where the top drawer was definitely closed. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she scurried over to it. Gently, Ruto pulled the drawer open, expecting to find her eggs. Terrified at finding the drawer empty she turned to glare at Link.

"What have you done?!" She screeched.

"Ruto, what are you talking about?"

"Where are my eggs?" Ruto's fins were no longer fluttering ever once in a while but flapping loudly and angrily.

"Oh." Link sighed in a relieved manner, "They're in the nursery, and they've hatched already, been hatched for a few weeks actually."

Ruto stormed out of the room, on her way to the nursery that had been used for all of the Royal Zoran children since the Domain had been created long ago. She knew the quickest path to it by heart as she had visited it many times. Often, before she'd found out about Link and Zelda's affair, she had wandered into the nursery, longingly looking at the aquariums and the parenting books. Even then she'd wanted children, and she hadn't been able to wait to use the nursery to hatch her children. Now that's where she was heading, only now she was going to actually see her children there, already hatched.

"Princess!" Many of the guards along the way tried to speak to her, to stop her and ask what was wrong. Link, who had been following her all along quickly silenced them by explaining that she'd just woken up. They calmed down and Link hurried to catch up with her.

"Ruto, they're just fine, don't worry! I've been with them constantly every day for the past few weeks. In fact, today is the first day that I've been out of the nursery for more than twenty minutes!" Link called after her.

Ruto was comforted by his words, but still, as a mother she needed to see her children with her own eyes. Quickly, but gently she opened the door to the nursery and entered. In the tall aquarium she had stared at many a time on the far side of the room, were eight happily swimming zoran babies. They were different than she expected them to look. But then again, she should have expected them to not be like a typical Zoran child as they were part Hylian. Still, it was strange to see them like this. Every mother has some sort of image of their unborn child in their head, and it is always shattered and built up again when they see their baby, living and breathing and smiling at them. Ruto walked zombie like towards the aquarium where she looked in at her babies.

One particularly feisty hatchling had a head like hers, and she swum around the aquarium chasing after her siblings with glee. She was the first to take an interest in Ruto, and swam over to the glass. The little one chirped curiously, gathering the attention of the others who all joined their sister. Ruto raised a webbed hand and placed it on the glass, she smiled warmly. Link came up behind her and suddenly all attention was removed from her and placed onto Link. He removed his green tunic and grabbed the Zoran one sitting on the table in the center of the room. As soon as he'd pulled it on he climbed into the tank and sat down amidst the giggling toddlers. They crowded around him and began making questioning gestures towards Ruto, as though asking Link for an explanation. Who was this strange woman?

Ruto watched on in awe as Link began explaining to them that Ruto was their mother. They didn't quite understand his words but seemed to grasp that Ruto was important and they should accept her. She was a good person, and important. Link beckoned her in with him as though it was perfectly normal to climb into the aquarium with the children. Ruto smiled nervously but did as he instructed. Once inside she crawled over to Link and greeted the little ones happily. They watched her unsurely for a few moments, trusting Link but not ready to approach this stranger. The one that looked so much like Ruto approached her first. Tentatively, she reached out and touched Ruto's cheek. Then, quickly she withdrew her webbed hand and swam hurriedly behind Link, chirping in his ear. They were startled sounds, Ruto could imagine the tot meaning to say 'This lady's strange, who is she dad?'

"You don't have to worry, I told the royal doctors as soon as I found them that they were mine." Link assured her which drew Ruto's attention immediately.

"Thank you," She mumbled awkwardly, "They could have been slain if you hadn't…"

"Ruto." Link started, and Ruto glanced up at him, prepared for the worst, "I know they're mine."

She bit her lip, her fins fluttering anxiously. He was angry with her, he was disgusted with her. What was she going to do?

"Zelda was the one that told me. The night that I broke it off with her she came to the domain to tell me that the inspection by Impa was a ruse. When I didn't react the way she wanted…she was angry with me." Link shook his head, "She wanted me to be angry at you."

"…are you?" Ruto asked, "Are you angry at me?"

Link shook his head vehemently, "No, Nayru's sakes no."

"Why?" Ruto absentmindedly stroked the head of her daughter, who had returned to her and snuggled into her arms.

"Because over the few weeks that I was in here, day and night with these kids. I grew to love them as my own, and to find out that they really were mine made me feel…proud, I guess?" Link shook his head again, he seemed to be doing it a lot these days.

"And I bet Zelda just hated that, didn't she?" Ruto chuckled.

"Yeah, she wanted me to want to have children with her, and she accused me of having fallen out of love with her, and in love with you."

"Was she right?"

Link sighed, "Yes."

"Wow, Link." Ruto felt tears escape her eyes, but they simply rose through the water to the surface. It was a strange feeling.

"What's wrong, Ruto?"

"It's just…this, all of this, everything you've told me…is everything I ever wanted." Ruto muttered bitterly.

Link turned his eyes to the aquarium floor ashamedly.

"Do you know how many nights I've dreamed this would happen? I wake up and suddenly you're this different person who loves me, and hates Zelda…who actually WANTS to take care of my children?" Ruto hugged her daughter close to her.

"Ruto…"

"It's just, Link…I think a little understanding on your part might be nice." Ruto paused solemnly before quietly asking, "Please, may I have some time alone with the children?"

Link shot her a sorry gaze. It was the most pitiful martyr face she'd ever seen. Even future Link wasn't that bad. He nodded and climbed out of the tank sopping wet. Yanking off his Zoran tunic he replaced it with his green one, after drying off, and left the room. Ruto laid down on the floor of the tank, unknowingly that her fiancée had done so many times before her. Her children curled around her, offering her company and comfort, though it did nothing to change her attitude. Maybe, if she closed her eyes, she would wake up in the Earth Temple with her future Link, her _real_ Link, the one she truly loved. This would all be a dream…just another dream.

**TBC…**


End file.
